To Perish Twice
by deans42ndfreckle
Summary: The Philosopher's Stone was supposed to make the world right again. In a way, Edward supposed it did. M/M, time bending, AU, EWE, First Time, Fluff, FMA/FMAB!Fusion, Pre-Slash... I'll tack on more as I go on. T for now.


**Title:** To Perish Twice

**Disclaimer:** Hiromu Arakawa and associates own these characters. I am writing this story for fun and make no monetary profit off of it.

**Warnings:** Romance, m/m, drama, time bending, AU, EWE, First Time, Fluff, FMA/FMAB!Fusion, Pre-Slash... I'll tack on more as I go on.

**Word Count: **904 (So far)

**Summary: **The Philosopher's Stone was supposed to make the world right again. It was supposed to bring back Alphonse's body and give Mustang back his sight. It was supposed to fix the huge mistake that Edward had made, one rainy evening in Risembool. In a way, Edward supposed it did but this is not how he would have imagined it.

**Pairings: **Roy/Ed, Al/Winry, Onesided!Roy/Hughes, Riza/OC

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><p><em>AN: Hey guize :) I'm back finally and with a new story idea to boot :3_

_Recently life has given me a big kick in the pants in the school direction so I haven't had too much time to write. I'm truly sorry that I haven't updated any of my other fics but I seem to have lost the vast majority of my inspiration regarding them..._

_This one, however, was just begging to be written down and I plan to update it, if not bi-weekly then monthly. Still, a good review will always spur me one so send me some of those and I'll be more likely to try to please you :)_

_The title comes from the poem _Fire and Ice _by Robert Frost_

_Some say the world will end in fire,  
>Some say in ice.<br>From what I've tasted of desire  
>I hold with those who favor fire.<br>But if it had to perish twice,  
>I think I know enough of hate<br>To say that for destruction ice  
>Is also great<br>And would suffice. _

_And now, on with the story!_

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><p><em>Chapter One - <em>_Revelation_

After the light of the transmutation faded, Edward found himself in an empty field of crushed wheat stalks. A light breeze carrying the scent of the ocean ruffled the tops of the grains and Edward stood up, taking in the scene before him. To the west of the sloping hill he was on was a ribbon of sparkling blue that Edward identified as a river. To the east, he could just make out a wooden fence and a small farm house on the horizon. The brown cows that dotted the field had paused in their chewing to look toward the source of the disturbance but their attention soon returned to the chewing of their grass.

Sighing, Edward ruffled a hand through his bangs. He knew the stone had worked, Truth had told him so as he passed through the Gate. He knew that Alphonse had his body back and Mustang's eye was fixed, but that didn't explain where he was or why he was there.

Looking down at himself, he realized that his military uniform was clean and free of the blood and tears it had acquired in the scuffle before he had opened the gate. The hole that Envy had punched through his left shoulder almost looked as if it had never been there. The only remaining sign of it was a ring of shiny, pale flesh about two inches across. Now that he was paying attention to it, he realized that his right shoulder and left knee ached something fierce.

As Edward stumbled down the little hillock, he became aware that he was exhausted to the core. Never had the result of a transmutation taken so much out of him and left him with so much. He realized, as he searched his mental faculties, that not a thing was missing. He had always had trouble with his chronological memory so it was no surprise that he couldn't string together a full series of events but his surprise was deepened when he realized that even his memories of his younger years were all present and accounted for.

After walking for what seemed like years, he reached the farmhouse that he had seen before. The river behind him was no more than a sliver when he squinted and the cows in the pasture were brown dots on the green and beige of the hillside. The gravel driveway that lead to the main road was empty save for one nondescript, green family vehicle whose make Edward didn't have the energy to identify.

As quickly as his shuffling feet would allow him, he made his way around and up to the house. The front porch had a potted plant and a well used rocking chair on it. Upon getting closer, he could just make out a melodious humming as someone went about their business inside the house. Uncertainly, Edward rang the doorbell.

A moment later, an eerily familiar woman in hospital scrubs answered the door with a pleasant, "How can I help you, sir?"

Quickly, Edward thought up a plausible lie, "Good evening ma'am. I'm sorry to disturb you but recently there have been complaints of alchemical disturbances in the area. Have you noticed any electrical discharges at odd times, or seemingly random earth tremors?"

Edward was truly proud of himself. His lying ability had never been that great, he would be the first to admit it, but that one was actually half believable!

"Oh, thank you for coming so quickly! I only placed that call an hour or two ago, I'm surprised someone got here so fast! Please come in..." She trailed off hoping for his name in answer.

"Hawkeye. Lieutenant Kain Hawkeye," He said, nearly wincing. The real Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye would have been furious at his use of her name and Second Lieutenant Kain Fuery would have likely fainted in pleasure, but, on the spot it was the best he could come up with.

"Please come in Lieutenant Hawkeye," Edward fought off a grimace at that, "Have a seat in the sitting room and I'll bring you a fresh cup of coffee. I've just brewed a pot."

Edward took in the room as he sat down on a comfortable arm chair. His initial sweep of the room was to catalogue entrances and exits but when he discovered that the only ones were the door through which he had entered and the north facing window, he began to relax and really look at the room.

Several framed pictures adorned the mantle piece and surrounding walls. All of them depicted the woman he had met and her husband and in some of them, an older woman and her dog. The room had a familiar scent to it and Edward guessed that if this was the home of doctors, it was either the iron smell of blood or the metallic tang of automail that struck him as homey.

A moment later, the woman returned to the sitting room and handed Edward a steaming mug of spiced coffee before sitting on a couch across from him. After taking a sip of the liquid and finding it to be easily the most wonderful thing anyone could ever drink, Edward set the cup down on a coaster on the glass table in front of him.

"Thank you, Mrs...?" He said, mimicking her earlier method of finding his name.

"Rockbell. Sara Rockbell."


End file.
